Simon Tedeschi is one of Australia’s most renowned classical pianists, and a critically acclaimed writer. Recipient of the Young Performer of the Year Award, the Creativity Foundation’s Legacy Award (USA), the New York Young Jewish Pianist Award and a Centenary of Federation Medal, he has performed for audiences, royalty and world leaders worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall via the Abu Dhabi and Shanghai Arts Festivals. A regular guest on ABC TV, for ABC Classic and Radio National, Simon’s reach extends into film, featuring in celebrated director Scott Hicks’ film, The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process alongside musical luminaries Daniel Johns, Ben Folds, and David Helfgott, and winning ‘Best cinematography’ in the 2025 AACTA Awards.
Acclaimed by respected critics and peers as “true greatness” (SMH), Simon performed his first Mozart piano concerto in the Sydney Opera House aged nine, later studying and performing in the USA. Since returning to Sydney, he regularly performs as soloist with all the major Australasian symphony orchestras, and tours nationally for festivals, venues and presenters including Musica Viva Australia.
Simon Tedeschi co-wrote and toured internationally the Sydney Opera House’ Meeting Mozart children’s show (produced by CDP, with four sell-out seasons in Sydney alone), and a number of shows combining words and music, for Monkey Baa Theatre, and with Australian theatre icon, John Bell AO OBE. In 2024, Tedeschi created with Roger Benedict ‘When George met Arnold’, exploring the music and late friendship of George Gershwin and Arnold Schoenberg, premiered to a packed Sydney Opera House Concert Hall featuring the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and film. Alongside further performances with John Bell, touring for Live at Yours with violinist Yamen Saadi (Vienna Philharmonic Concertmaster), for the Flowers of Peace WWII Requiem and National Doctors Orchestra, Tedeschi continues his forays outside strictly classical spheres, this year playing a number of jazz-leaning programs including for Jazz At The Lounge at Sydney’s Concourse, various concerts with jazz violinist/vocalist George Washingmachine, and a tribute to Dave Brubeck premiered at UKARIA in 2024, with leading jazz figures, Paul Cutlan and Cameron Undy.
Simon’s latest classical album, ‘Debussy – Ravel’ with violist and conductor Roger Benedict, received a 2023 ARIA award nomination for ‘Best Classical Album’, adding to his critically acclaimed recordings for ABC Classics/Universal Music such as The Gershwin Collection, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, R. Strauss’ Enoch Arden, and concerti by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Grieg.
Alongside his performing career, Tedeschi is fast gaining renown as a writer of note, winning the prestigious Calibre Essay Prize for 2022; Tedeschi’s critically acclaimed literary debut, Fugitive (for Upswell Publishing) was shortlisted in both the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, and Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection. Speaking engagements include for Sydney Writers’ Festival and more. www.simontedeschi.com
Latest News
World Premiere with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra of a new show co-written/created by Simon Tedeschi and Roger Benedict, about the friendship between composers George Gershwin and Arnold Schoenberg, plays to a near sell-out Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, May 2024: read more here.
25 years on from Shine, Simon features in Academy Award-winning director Scott Hicks’ film, The Musical Mind (2023), alongside Ben Folds, Daniel Johns and David Helfgott, with artwork by Loribelle Spirovski. Read more here.
Simon Tedeschi’s latest album with violist Roger Benedict, ‘Ravel – Debussy’ earns a 2023 ARIA Award nomination for ‘Best Classical Album’.
Simon Tedeschi and John Bell AO OBE have created and penned two new shows together, which will be touring in 2023-2024. ‘Words & Music’ and ‘With Love, Amadeus’ each blend poetry with piano, telling stories and revealing moments from personal touring experiences, and from Mozart’s letters. Read more here.
Reviews of Simon’s March performances of Rachmaninoff’s 4th piano concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Opera House: “a deceptively effortless performance… Tedeschi’s relaxed dexterity lent an easy logic to music that can seem excessively complicated… Tedeschi generated the requisite fireworks” (Limelight Magazine); “Tedeschi’s legato is astonishing … giving Rachmaninov’s music a diamond-cut clarity” (Harriet Cunningham); “a revelation… simply superb” (J-Wire).
